WOODLAND HILLS : LAPD Faces Staffing Crisis, Williams Says
Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams said Monday his department faces a staffing crisis that threatens its ability to provide basic services--investigating crime and rolling out enough patrol cars to keep watch over the streets.
Speaking to the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn., Williams said the department’s patrol and detective operations are his highest priority as he struggles to respond to a steadily rising rate of crime with 7,900 officers, more than 400 fewer than the department had until a hiring freeze took effect last year.
But he assured the luncheon crowd of 350 business leaders in Woodland Hills that he does not believe in sapping the strength of police divisions in parts of the city with relatively low crime rates to supplement the ranks in areas that are more troubled. He said he will set minimum staffing levels for each of the city’s 18 divisions and maintain those levels except during a major citywide emergency.
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